Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious

Scripture Readings

Have you ever felt a sense of foreboding or approaching doom?  Many of us have experienced times in our lives when it feels like destruction is coming our way.  In today’s first reading, Hezekiah King of Judah is being taunted by the King of Assyria.  This mighty expanding empire has its sights set on Jerusalem next.  It has an impressive history of destroying and gobbling up every nation in its path.   Most other nations follow the way through the wide gate; they build up their militaries and pray to their false Gods for help.  But Hezekiah knows that because God is different, Judah is different.  God is the true God, and so military might is not needed to save the nation from the invading empire. 

We don’t have invasions to worry about right now, but it is easy to be shaken with fear at all the hateful political rhetoric, or the antagonism to religion we see in so many circles.  These are real problems.  Luckily, we have a God who gives us real salvation.  It is a spiritual salvation, but it is not only spiritual.  

We don’t have to worry that our strength alone will determine the outcome.  Relying on only myself, or the strength of my group, is the way that leads through the wide Gate; it leads to destruction.  God will be with us in all our trials, no matter what the future holds, just as he was with the King of Judah all those years ago.  May we take the narrow way and trust the Lord as confidently as Hezekiah did centuries ago.

-Chris Nieport